AMATEUR NIGHT
by Ann3
Summary: Mark, Steve and Amanda stumble upon the secret life of Dr Jesse Travis...


AMATEUR NIGHT

Written by Ann Rivers ann.rivers@virgin.net

Completed 6 March 2001

Summary: Mark, Steve and Amanda discover the secret life of Dr Jesse Travis

Disclaimer: Diagnosis Murder and its characters are the property of CBS and Viacom.

No profit is being made from their use here 

Author's note: After reading about Charlie's musical talents, I thought I'd give him, and the rest of CG's finest, a night off from all the murder and mayhem…

Feedback: Oh, yes please…!

Steve Sloan knew he was asking for trouble from what he was about to say, but…

well, he was a detective after all. And this mystery was driving him quietly nuts.

Besides, he thought with a wry smile, what else was new…?

"So, Jesse, this intriguingly unmissable date of yours…" he said casually,

pretending not to notice his young friend's glare as he followed him into the ER.

"You know, the one that means you _won't_ be joining us for dinner tonight…"

"If you don't stop bugging me, you won't be making it either…" Jesse muttered, dumping his latest pile of case notes on the admin desk before moving off again – 

his exasperation only increasing as Steve pursued him across the main lobby.

Finally he turned to face his friend with a look of comically plaintive appeal.

"Look, don't you have any suspects to go and annoy instead of me…?"

"Nope…" Steve replied, thoroughly enjoying himself as he shrugged his shoulders.

"Besides, you're a lot more fun…"

"I also happen to be a doctor…" Jesse pointed out, adding with slow deliberation, 

"An overworked, underpaid doctor who, when he gets angry…"

"Turns green and rips his shirt…?" Steve asked, all wide eyed innocence.

Try as he might, Jesse couldn't help but grin back at him as he finally caved in – 

or so he would have his tormentor think.

Seeing how close they were to an open elevator, the grin suddenly widened.

"Okay, Steve – you really want to know what I'm doing tonight…?" he said at last,

moving innocuously to it then waving his hand, as if signalling someone to hurry.

By the time Steve turned to see who it was, realised he'd been had and turned back,

his quarry was inside – gleefully mocking him as the doors closed between them.

"Well, keep on guessing, 'cos I ain't telling…!"

From where he'd stood at admissions, watching this exchange with great amusement,

Mark Sloan now moved to give his ruefully smiling son a consoling pat on the back.

"Neat trick…" Mark said at last, laughing openly now at the look on Steve's face.

"Very…" Steve replied with a wry smile, before he too laughed and shook his head.

"I'll have to try it myself some time…"

"Good idea…" his father agreed, unable to resist one last quip as he moved away.

"Just don't try it on Jesse…"

Steve watched him go with a slightly pained smile, before shaking his head again.

Shanghai'd twice in less than a minute…? That couldn't be good…

"Must be losing my touch… going crazy too if I'm talking to myself…" he sighed, 

still shaking his head as he went to seek solace in the best place he could think of –

the hospital cafeteria.

To his chagrin, and his father's amusement, Jesse's secret was still safe hours later – 

an achievement that Amanda was finding hard to believe as they left the hospital.

"You still don't know what Jesse's doing tonight…?" she asked in amused disbelief – 

that amusement only increasing at the rueful look on Steve's face.

"I know what he's doing, Amanda – I just couldn't find out who with…" he replied, trying to reassert his authority – and, judging by the laughter around him, failing.

"Or, more importantly, whether said date has an older sister…" Amanda went on –

knowing that the brotherly rivalry between detective and doctor was at its most entertaining where female company was concerned. 

Laughing at the face that Steve pulled at her in reply, she then winked at Mark who, very wisely, was concentrating on his driving.

"Well, whatever he's doing, I'm sure he'll enjoy himself…" Mark said at last,

glancing quizzically across at his son for a moment then at Amanda. "The question is,

what are _we_ going to do tonight…?" 

"What about a club or something…?" Amanda suggested, shrugging her shoulders.

"I mean, not a nightclub as such, but… well, maybe a place that does live music…?"

Not that she knew it, of course, but that simple suggestion was to prove inspired – 

not to mention highly enlightening. 

The place was busy and noisily cheerful, which was always a good sign.

On the downside, though, all of the best and well placed tables were already taken.

Finally spotting an empty one behind the door, Amanda moved swiftly to claim it, while Steve and Mark braved a crowded bar to get their drinks.

Perhaps it was a trick of the light, but as Steve followed his father back to their table, a chance glance to the stage behind him made him blink and look again.

The band was now warming up. And that drummer looked awfully familiar…

Before he could call his father back, however, the leader of the band stepped forward, to loud cheers of anticipation.

"Good evening, all those with the impeccable taste to join us…!" he called out, meeting more yells of approval with an extravagant bow before nodding behind him.

"And for all you hopeful young ladies out there… yes, the delectable Dr T is in…!"

Amidst a chorus of female cheers, not to mention a growing number of wolf whistles, two doctors and a police lieutenant traded puzzled, disbelieving glances.

"It couldn't be…" Amanda said at last, smiling slightly as she shook her head.

"Care to make a wager on that…?" Steve asked dryly, pointing towards the stage.

As his father continued to search, the grin grew wider as Steve leant over to help.

"Check out the drums, dad…"

Doing as told, Mark's jaw then dropped down to join that of a dumbstruck Amanda.

True, it had been hard to spot him through a constantly milling crowd of people –

but the boyish face, blond hair and irrepressible grin were unmistakeably those of 

Dr Jesse Travis.

"_This _is Jesse's unmissable date…? A gig with a rock band…?" Mark asked at last, disbelief now giving way to a delighted chuckle of laughter.

"No wonder he was so reluctant to tell us about it…" Steve agreed with a wry grin -

about to stand to try and attract his young friend's attention but then dutifully, 

if reluctantly, changing his mind as Mark caught his arm.

"We don't want to embarrass him…" his father told him with a gentle smile,

winking back at him before settling back for what promised to be quite an evening.

As it turned out, Jesse managed that slightly unfortunate deed by himself.

Still blissfully unaware of his friends' presence, he was putting on quite a show – 

bashing out the beat for a succession of rock 'n' roll favourites with dizzying energy.

Even Steve had to admit that his friend had a real talent, a natural sense of rhythm. 

Until he noticed three familiar, highly amused faces watching him at a distant table.

Then all sense of finely honed rhythm abruptly vanished – along with his dignity –

as Jesse missed the drums completely, his momentum carrying him clear off his seat.

As he disappeared in a tangle of arms, legs and cymbals, and to a chorus of laughter,

it was interesting to note how those three reacted to his plight.

Mark winced, Amanda collapsed in hysterics - and Steve spoke for all three.

"Ooh, that would have to smart…"

"Yes, I imagine it did…" his father agreed, more serious now as he got to his feet –

his concern then giving way to a relieved smile as his young protégé reappeared, dishevelled and a little dazed but thankfully unhurt.

Even so, Mark couldn't stop himself from hurrying over to check on him anyway,

Steve and Amanda carefully schooling the grins from their faces before joining him.

"That was some fall you took, Jess…" Mark said, gently helping him from the stage.

"Are you sure you're not hurt…?"

"Only my pride…" Jesse replied with a rueful wince, gently rubbing his shoulder.

Giving his just as concerned band-mates a reassuring if slightly pained take five, 

he then turned back to Mark, his expression a priceless study of mortified shock. 

"What the h… I – I mean, what are you guys doing here…?"

"I could ask you the same thing…" Steve shot back with a mischievous grin – 

one that wickedly grew as, recalling how his friend had tricked him, he added mildly, "Never an elevator round when you need one, is there, Jess…?"

"Another word from you, if you so much as smirk…" Jesse promised him fervently, "…and you'll be needing some very painful, _extremely_ intimate surgery to remove this drumstick…!"

As Steve's grin predictably vanished, that of his father grew evilly wider.

"Ooh, that would have to smart…!" he deadpanned, pointedly ignoring the face 

which his son pulled at him in response as he turned his attention back to Jesse.

"Seriously, Jess, what _are_ you doing here…?"

The blue eyes dropped, developing a sudden interest in the state of the floor.

When Jesse looked up again the familiar, easy smile had returned - albeit sheepishly.

"Well, you know how it is on a resident's salary, Mark…" he said at last.

"You've got the rent to pay, bills to settle… not to mention other necessities like…"

"Food and surfboards and more food…" Steve cut in, unable to help himself – playfully cowering behind his father as Jesse raised a meaningful eyebrow at him 

and skilfully twirled that potentially painful drumstick in front of his nose.

With Mark on bodyguard duty, it was left to Amanda to avert further bloodshed.

"So you've done what most residents do and taken an extra job…" she smiled,

assuming that was what had caused Jesse so much embarrassment. 

As Jesse blushed and shuffled his feet, the pathologist sighed and shook her head.

"Jesse, there's no shame in showing that kind of initiative…" she went on,

puzzled though as she looked around them. "But playing the drums in a band…?"

"And a sixties band at that…" Steve agreed, adding before he could stop himself,

"Jess, you weren't even around during the sixties…!"

"And I thought you were a country boy…" Mark chipped in, curious himself now.

"I know… and I am…" Jesse conceded with a slightly flustered, embarrassed grin.

"But… well, just because I wasn't born then doesn't mean I can't enjoy the music…"

"Quite right, Jess, and you were certainly enjoying yourself up there…" Mark agreed, 

smiling back at him but still concerned that his young friend had hurt himself. 

"Until, that is… um… well, until you… um, are you sure you're okay…?"

"I'm fine, Mark… really…" Jesse assured him with a ruefully appreciative grin.

Anxious not to bruise his ego still further, Amanda smiled and patted his shoulder.

"Jesse, I didn't know you were even musically minded, let alone so talented…"

Threat to his anatomy regardless, Steve was all ready with a witty rejoinder – 

then saw how close that drumstick was and wisely, if regretfully, changed his mind.

Thankfully, Jesse had now recovered from his shock enough to forgive and forget, and to enjoy the unexpected company of his friends.

"Well, I joined this band when I was going through medical school…" he explained, still blushing slightly as he went on, "Well, it was kind of an accident, really…

you see, one night their drummer failed to show up for practice, and I was… 

well, there to watch them and that, and… well, that was it… I was in…"

Throughout this time, the others had been exchanging knowingly amused glances – each picturing their ebullient young friend in his college days. 

No doubt just as lively then as he was now, and one hell of a handful for his mentors.

Whoever and wherever they were, Mark, for one, could only silently sympathise.

Those drums too, both then and now, must have wondered what was hitting them.

"You know, we had a band at the academy… The Criminal Element…" Steve cut in, his turn to blush as the others, his father especially, stared at him in polite disbelief.

Fortunately he now found a kindred, if rather sheepish spirit as Jesse came clean too. 

"We were Doctors Feelgood… guaranteed to get your pulse racing…" 

"Why doesn't that surprise me…?" Mark chuckled, still laughing as he added dryly,

"And I don't need to ask who thought up _that_ catchy little sales pitch…"

"Apparently not…" Amanda agreed, laughing too at the pained grin on Jesse's face.

Before he could reply, however, one of his fellow artistes called out from the stage.

"Hey, Jess…! You okay now, 'cos we're about ready to let 'em loose up here…!"

Waving back, Jesse turned to face his friends with a now bright and breezy smile.

"Hey, tonight's our amateur night… you are gonna stay for that, aren't you…?"

Before any of them could reply, however, he glanced towards their table and frowned. 

"You won't be able to see anything from back there…" he went on, shaking his head - brightening again as he spotted someone in the crowd. "Hold on, I'll be right back…"

With that he was gone, leaving three highly amused friends in his wake.

"Did I imagine that, or did a tornado just go through here…?" Steve asked dryly – 

not entirely surprised when the others, just as amused, shook their heads.

"You didn't – and it did…" Mark chuckled, watching Jesse weave past the tables – fondly wondering, as he often did, where his young friend found his energy.

They were too far away to make out what Jesse was saying to his companion –

but judging by the way their friend now grinned and gave them a discreet thumbs up,

it had something to do with getting them another table.

In fact Jesse had gone one better, if that broad grin on his face was anything to go by.

"Okay, I managed to get you in with Ray over there, he's the owner…" he announced, clearly pleased as he added grandly, "And your drinks are on the house…"

Then he was off again, guiding them through a maze of tables towards the stage.

As three amazed, appreciative friends tried to keep up, Steve nudged his father's arm. 

"Whatever it is that he's on, dad… legal or otherwise, I want some…"

"You and me both…" his father agreed, thinking for a moment before adding dryly,

"In fact, if we could bottle it and sell it we'd make a fortune…" 

"We'd have to catch him first…" Steve added, gallantly seeing Amanda into her seat - a shared grin with his father implying how impossible that was likely to be as they watched Jesse bound back onto the stage.

Struck by a sudden thought, he glanced across at his father with a puzzled frown.

"And what do you suppose he meant by amateur night…?"

Watching several members of the audience head excitedly towards the stage, 

to a cheer of encouraging applause, his father started to laugh.

"I think…" Mark replied, patting his son's shoulder as Jesse waved back at them, 

"…that the Criminal Element are back in business…"

Cottoning on, his son just groaned and let his head drop into his arms.

"Oh, great…" he muttered, raising his head enough to cast his father a rueful smile.

"Did you think to bring your clarinet…?"

He hadn't, of course. But in the end, that didn't seem to matter.

True, he had to drag Steve and Amanda out of their seats when their turn came, but…

well, once they were up on that stage it proved almost impossible to get them off it.

Especially when Jesse yielded to his friend's pleas and let Steve loose on the drums – 

becoming so fed up with trying to get him off them that in the end he gave up,

left wryly shaking his head alongside as Steve finally realised a long held ambition.

Watching his son happily bashing away, if maybe not all that musically,

Mark turned to a slightly soundstruck Amanda and offered her a rather rueful smile. 

"Thank God I never got him those drums he wanted when he was little…" he sighed – wincing, as Jesse now was, as a set of cymbals were bashed clear off their stand.

"Well, Mark, I'd say he's certainly making up for it now…" Amanda agreed, laughing also as both then watched Jesse come to his now shamefaced friend's rescue.

Even without his clarinet, Mark still managed to cut quite a dash too – 

joined by Amanda in a display of real rock 'n' roll dancing that soon had everyone else

jiving around the tables while Jesse, having finally regained custody of his drums, happily showed Steve how it should be done. 

But it was Amanda who proved to be the revelation of the entire night –

her increasingly sultry rendition of All That Jazz bringing the proverbial house down, no one applauding and cheering her more loudly than Mark, Steve and Jesse.

As the evening wound down and the many new friends they'd made filtered away,

Mark, Steve and Amanda joined an equally worn out but happy Jesse on the stage.

"So, Jesse, when's our next gig…?" Steve asked, flopping down beside his friend – feigning hurt surprise when Jesse threw him a glance of deepest scepticism.

"After the way you abused my kit back there…?" he asked in equally feigned horror, grinning though as he added dryly, "Don't call us, we'll call you…" 

"Well, at least I didn't throw myself on top of them…" Steve shot back at him – 

his turn to enjoy a quietly smug grin as that of his friend predictably faded.

While enjoying this battle of wits, Mark felt it only right to make an apparently forgotten point as they rose to their feet again and headed towards the door.

"Yes, we're sorry we gave you such a scare like that, Jesse…" he said at last, 

turning back to offer a startled Jesse a slight, almost apologetic smile as he went on,

"I hope we didn't… er… well, spoil your date too much…"

Realising what he was saying, Jesse laughed and, to everyone's relief, shook his head.

"Oh no, Mark… I - I mean, it's okay, don't worry about it…" he assured them,

thinking for a moment before shrugging his shoulders. "I mean… well, it was fun…"

"Yes it was… I haven't enjoyed a night out so much in ages…" Amanda agreed, smiling her thanks as Mark helped her into her coat.

"You know, neither have I… we'll definitely have to do this again…" Jesse went on, 

casting Steve a playfully meaningful glare as he added, "Just no drums…" 

Conceding the point just as good naturedly, Steve placed a hand on Jesse's shoulder.

"So, Jesse, what other deep, dark secrets does the delectable Dr T have that we 

don't know about…?" he asked, raising a quizzical eyebrow.

Thinking for a moment, Jesse finally looked up at him. And simply smiled…


End file.
